The National Citizens Party (NCP) announced its Lakshmipur district committee late Tuesday night, according to a statement signed by central member secretary Akhtar Hossain and chief organizer (southern region) Hasnat Abdullah. The committee named Md Masum Billah as convener and Muhammad Alamgir Hossain as member secretary, along with several joint conveners and secretaries. Twelve additional members were also included in the committee.

A few hours after the announcement, the committee list was removed from the NCP’s official page without any explanation. When asked about the removal, newly appointed member secretary Muhammad Alamgir Hossain said the reason was unknown to them but confirmed that the committee had been officially announced and would continue to operate as the legitimate body for NCP activities in Lakshmipur.

The incident has created uncertainty about the party’s internal decision-making process in the district, though no official clarification from the central leadership was reported in the source.

As lightning incidents increase across Bangladesh, the risk of damage to household electronic devices such as televisions, computers, routers, and refrigerators has also risen. Sudden voltage surges during lightning can severely harm sensitive circuits, even without a direct strike. The report advises that during lightning, all electrical connections should be completely disconnected, not just switched off, to prevent high-voltage currents from reaching devices.

The article highlights that internet and cable connections can also transmit electrical surges, so unplugging routers, LAN, and fiber cables is recommended. Devices being charged, such as mobile phones and laptops, are particularly vulnerable and should not be used or left plugged in during storms. For long-term protection, the use of surge protectors and proper electrical grounding is encouraged to safely divert excess electricity.

Additional safety measures include installing lightning rods and voltage stabilizers in large buildings. After a storm, devices should be powered on gradually, and any irregularities should be checked by a professional before further use.

Former Dhaka University vice-chancellor Professor Niaz Ahmad Khan has taken on a new role as senior strategic adviser at Grameen University. The appointment was announced on Tuesday through a press release from the Grameen University Trust, which stated that he assumed the position after receiving formal approval from Dhaka University authorities.

Professor Khan had served as vice-chancellor of Dhaka University from August 27, 2024, during a period of unrest following student and public movements in July and August of that year. He managed the university’s administrative affairs for about one and a half years before resigning voluntarily on February 10, 2026.

According to the Grameen University authorities, the institution will operate based on Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus’s “three zeros” concept—zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions. It has identified 14 priority academic programs under five schools and is continuing recruitment for key leadership positions. The university received approval from the Ministry of Education in March 2025 and from the University Grants Commission in April 2025, paving the way for academic operations under a trustee board whose members have pledged to serve without financial benefits.

A group of young Bangladeshis has created a digital archive called July Memories to preserve the visual and cultural traces of the July uprising. The initiative began as a graffiti archive to document protest writings before they disappeared from public walls. Over time, it expanded into a broader online repository capturing slogans, songs, raps, poems, and personal memories linked to the movement. Co-founders Yasir Arafat and Silmee Sadia, both with backgrounds in journalism, led the effort across 11 districts, photographing around 10,000 graffiti pieces.

The project emerged from a sense of duty to protect the language of protest that was rapidly being erased after the fall of authoritarian rule. Many significant writings, including those demanding justice and political accountability, were removed within months. July Memories now serves as a digital resistance against forgetting, ensuring that the voices of protest remain accessible online.

Beyond archiving, the founders also authored a book on six journalists killed during the July events, published by the Press Institute Bangladesh, extending their mission of preserving collective memory.

A man named Suman Mondal died after being struck by lightning in Rajbari district on Wednesday morning. The incident occurred around 6:45 a.m. in Marjotkol village under Mijanpur Union of Rajbari Sadar upazila. Suman, aged 35 and son of Siddik Mondal, was carrying his three-and-a-half-year-old daughter Safia to a nearby shop when lightning struck. Safia fell from his arms but survived with minor bleeding from her nose and ears. Suman was taken to Rajbari Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

According to local sources, Suman had recently left his NGO job and was staying at home. Mijanpur Union Parishad administrator and Sadar Upazila agriculture officer Md. Jony Khan said the sudden death cast a shadow of grief over the area. Rajbari Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Uttam Kumar Ghosh confirmed that one person was killed by lightning in the union and that police visited the scene.

The incident has deeply saddened local residents, highlighting the recurring danger of lightning strikes during the season.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has announced that both city corporations are implementing various measures to transform the capital into a clean and green city. He made the statement on Wednesday morning while responding to a question from a member of parliament. According to him, Dhaka North City Corporation plans to plant 500,000 trees over the next five years, and initiatives are underway to achieve zero waste management across the city.

The Prime Minister added that efforts are being made to gradually develop basic facilities across the country to reduce pressure on the capital. He also mentioned that 37,814 women heads of families have received financial support through the Family Card program. The government will not print new money for the Family Card or Farmer Card schemes.

Rahman further stated that the government plans to expand the existing Mother and Child Support Program by increasing financial benefits and the number of beneficiaries, and by including prenatal, postnatal, vaccination, and institutional delivery services.

Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution PLC carried out a series of raids on April 27, 2026, targeting illegal gas connections across several areas including Tongi, Gazipur, Keraniganj, Narayanganj, and Munshiganj. The operations were led by officials from the company along with executive magistrates and local administrations. In Tongi, 37 illegal connections were disconnected and about 200 feet of unauthorized pipeline were removed. In Keraniganj, an illegal factory connection was cut off, resulting in a fine of 100,000 taka and prevention of gas theft worth over 1.2 million taka per month.

Further operations in Gazipur, Narayanganj, and Munshiganj led to the removal of hundreds of illegal domestic and industrial connections, confiscation of pipes, burners, and regulators, and additional fines. In Narayanganj, illegal connections at lime and casting factories were dismantled, preventing daily gas theft worth approximately 277,000 taka. In Munshiganj, illegal gas use at a madrasa and nearby residences was stopped, with multiple appliances and fittings seized.

According to the press release, these coordinated drives are part of Titas Gas’s ongoing campaign to curb unauthorized gas use and recover government revenue losses.

The Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) has been accused of erasing July-themed graffiti from the walls of the Government Alia Madrasa area in Chowhatta as part of a city beautification drive ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit on May 2. The removal has triggered political and social debate in the city, with student activists expressing anger over what they call an attempt to erase history.

According to local sources, SCC has been repainting and cleaning key city areas, including Chowhatta and Alia Madrasa, where the graffiti was replaced with white paint. In response, members of the National Chhatra Shakti gathered at the site on Tuesday night, protesting and writing new slogans reading “We will give our lives, not July.”

In a joint statement, the organization’s Sylhet leaders accused SCC of deliberately removing murals commemorating historic July events and demanded their restoration within 24 hours, warning of a mass movement if ignored. The city corporation has not issued any official comment on the matter.

Severe riverbank erosion along the Brahmaputra River in Roumari upazila of Kurigram has destroyed about one hundred hectares of farmland over the past 18 days, leaving more than 700 families homeless. The river has also devoured two government primary schools and several other structures, forcing residents to spend sleepless nights in fear. Many displaced families are now living in makeshift shelters along roadsides or on others’ land after losing their homes multiple times.

Local residents expressed deep frustration over the lack of effective government measures despite the erosion continuing for months. Victims described repeated losses of homes and land, with many widows, elderly people, and persons with disabilities struggling to survive. A union council member confirmed that a list of 720 affected families has been submitted to the chairman, but no action has yet been taken.

An official from the Kurigram Water Development Board said the matter has been reported to higher authorities and that work will begin once funds are allocated, though no emergency budget is currently available.

Continuous heavy rainfall in Sunamganj has caused embankments to break, allowing water to enter the haor areas and triggering fears of flooding. Farmers are struggling to harvest ripe boro paddy as waterlogging and labor shortages worsen the situation. In several places, harvesters cannot enter the fields due to standing water, and harvested paddy cannot be dried because of the lack of sunlight.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, boro paddy was cultivated on 223,511 hectares across 137 haors this season, with a production target of about 1.4 million metric tons worth around Tk 5,000 crore. So far, 53,640 hectares have been harvested, but waterlogging and labor shortages persist. The Water Development Board reported that 702 embankment projects covering 602 kilometers were built or repaired this year at a cost of Tk 145 crore, yet the structures have weakened under continuous rain.

Local reports from Madhyanagar indicate that a rural embankment in Banshikunda South Union collapsed early Tuesday, flooding nearby fields. Farmers fear losing half of their standing crops as repair efforts remain stalled, and officials are working with farmers to harvest vulnerable fields quickly.

Bangladesh today observes April 29 as a day of mourning, remembering the catastrophic cyclone that struck the country on this day in 1991. The storm, known as Cyclone Gorky, hit the Chattogram coast with winds reaching 155 miles per hour, destroying vast coastal regions and killing more than 200,000 people. Millions were left homeless, and property losses were estimated at two billion dollars. The cyclone affected 19 districts and 102 upazilas, with the worst damage reported in Sandwip, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Kutubdia, Bhola, and Teknaf.

The storm originated as a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal on April 22, 1991, intensified over the following days, and made landfall on April 29. Many residents failed to reach shelters despite warnings, leading to the high death toll. The tidal surge swept away crops, livestock, and naval and air force infrastructure in coastal and port areas.

Even after 35 years, large parts of Bangladesh’s coastal belt remain vulnerable, with fragile embankments in Kutubdia, Maheshkhali, Pekua, Eidgaon, Cox’s Bazar Sadar, and Teknaf posing ongoing risks to residents.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) of Bangladesh has selected 72,341 income tax returns for audit for the 2023–24 tax year using an automated system based on risk-based criteria. The announcement was published on the NBR website on Tuesday. This marks the first time income tax audits are being chosen through the same automated process previously used for VAT audits, where 600 returns were reviewed earlier in April. NBR stated that the automated selection ensures transparency and fulfills a long-standing demand from civil society.

For years, taxpayers and company officials had accused NBR officers of selecting the same individuals or firms for audits repeatedly, allegedly for harassment or financial gain. In response, NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan had suspended manual audit selections until an automated system was introduced. The new system allocates between 20 and 200 audits per tax circle, depending on the prevalence of tax evasion. A tax lawyer noted that while automation improves transparency, it may still miss cases where individuals underreport income despite large assets.

The automated audit selection is expected to enhance fairness and strengthen revenue collection by reducing human interference in the process.

Four union parishad chairmen in Chuadanga’s Alamdanga upazila, previously suspended from their duties, have been reinstated following a High Court directive. The district administration canceled earlier decisions to appoint administrators to the four unions and issued a new order restoring the chairmen to their posts. The order, signed by Deputy Commissioner Lutfun Nahar, was issued in compliance with the court’s instruction.

The reinstated chairmen are Hasanuzzaman Saroar of Chitla Union, Mojahidur Rahman Jowardar of Khadimpur Union, Tarikul Islam of Daukhi Union, and Tafsir Ahmed Mallik Lal of Khaskarra Union. The High Court had earlier suspended the administrative appointment order for six months on March 12, 2026, allowing the chairmen to continue their duties. The administrators had been appointed on November 27, 2024, due to the chairmen’s absence.

Following the reinstatement, the chairmen expressed their commitment to serve the public in accordance with the court’s directive. The Alamdanga Upazila Nirbahi Officer stated that the reinstatement was carried out based on the court’s order and the divisional commissioner’s investigation report.

Students at Dhaka University have voiced frustration over restrictive rules at the Central Library, which holds more than seven hundred thousand books but does not allow direct access to shelves. Learners must request titles on slips, and librarians retrieve them, preventing students from browsing or selecting books themselves. Many have turned to departmental libraries or outside reading spaces for a more open experience.

Library officials defend the system, citing security and order concerns, saying unrestricted access could lead to disorganization and book loss. Acting librarian Professor Kazi Mostak Gausul Haque described the closed-access model as a long-standing tradition, noting staff shortages as another reason. However, he mentioned plans to introduce partial open access and digital modernization to make the library more student-friendly.

Experts and university officials, including Professor Shariful Islam and ICT Cell Director Dr. Mosaddeq Kamal Tushar, criticized the current system as outdated and misaligned with modern technology. The newly appointed Vice-Chancellor, Professor A.B.M. Obaidul Islam, said discussions are underway for reforms and a new modern library project.

Implementation of Bangladesh’s Guchchhogram Phase III project, aimed at rehabilitating 20,000 landless and river erosion-affected families on government land, has become uncertain. Despite several meetings, the Planning Commission’s Project Evaluation Committee has not responded, delaying construction and leaving thousands of families in limbo. The project, titled “Climate Victims Rehabilitation Project,” was initially planned for July 2025 to June 2030 with a budget of Tk 776.62 crore, later reduced to Tk 760 crore after cost reviews.

According to the Land Ministry, feasibility studies were completed in April 2024, and the project’s manpower structure was approved in early 2025. However, the revised Development Project Proposal (DPP) faced repeated scrutiny for excessive and unclear expenses, including vehicle costs, allowances, and promotional spending. The Planning Commission has urged further cost rationalization and transparency in expenditure breakdowns.

Officials said the project remains under review but may be presented to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council soon. If implemented, it would provide housing, utilities, and livelihood support to vulnerable families across 64 districts, contributing to social security and rural resilience.